Language Matters with Bob Holman

Jan 25, 2015

1h 50m

★ 10.0

What does it take to save a language?

Overview

There are over 6,000 languages in the world. We lose one every two weeks. Hundreds will be lost within the next generation. By the end of this century, half of the world's languages will have vanished. Language Matters with Bob Holman is a two hour documentary that asks: What do we lose when a language dies? What does it take to save a language?

Genres

History

Documentary

Production Companies

PBS

Language Matters with Bob Holman Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Self - Narrator / Host

Bob Holman

Self

Arlene W. Eaton

Self

Pele Harmon

Self

Kauanoe Kamana

Self

Larry Kimura

Self

Kepa Maly

Self

William Stanley Merwin

Self

Lolena Nicholas

Self

Puakea Nogelmeier

Self

Keali'i Reichel

Self

Kaui Sai-Dudoit

Self

Nick Evans

Three Alaska Native women work to save their endangered language, Kodiak Alutiiq, and ensure the future of their culture while confronting their personal demons. With just 41 fluent Native speakers remaining, mostly Elders, some estimate their language could die out within ten years. The small community travels to a remote Island, where a language immersion experiment unfolds with the remaining fluent Elders. Young camper Sadie, an at-risk 13 year old learner and budding Alutiiq dancer, is inspired and gains strength through her work with the teachers. Yet PTSD and politics loom large as the elders, teachers, and students try to continue the difficult task of language revitalization over the next five years.

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